The Dance
by WriterOfOddFics
Summary: Emily asks Ulrich to go to a movie, and he accepts. Yumi takes this as a date but Ulrich does not. Yumi had been wanting to ask Ulrich to the dance that Friday, but now she can't even stand to talk to him. What's going to happen? Read and find out!
1. Ch 1 Ulrich and Emily?

Chapter 1: Ulrich and Emily?

Yumi walked briskly down the sidewalk near Kadic's school, hot tears stinging her eyes. 'How could this be happening?' She thought. 'And I honestly thought he _liked me_. Now I know I was wrong. He likes Emily. How could I be so stupid?' She kicked at a pile of leaves as she continued her walk.

Meanwhile, in Ulrich's dorm, Ulrich was punching his pillow. Odd was out talking with Samantha about helping her with tracks for the next school dance. "Why is this happening to me? Emily asks me to go to a movie with her Saturday night, I say, sure, why not? Then Yumi gets ticked and won't talk to me! Now I bet she's crying! I hate to see her cry. It just...does stuff to me..." He trailed off, still punching his pillow.

"Careful, Ulrich," Odd said suddenly, walking in the room. "You have a test tomorrow and if you don't get a good night's sleep..."

"Oh, shut up, Odd," Ulrich said hatefully.

"Gosh? What'd I do?" Odd said, looking sort of hurt and concerned at the same time.

Ulrich's eyes watered, and he told Odd all of the day's events, from the time Emily sat down next to him at lunch to when Yumi walked away close to tears. Odd listened intently. "So that's what happened," Ulrich finished, a tear slipping down his cheek. "And now I don't know what to do..." Another tear slipped down his cheek.

Odd handed him a tissue, and he took it gladly. "Gosh, Ulrich, I've never seen you like this. You know what you should do?"

Ulrich sniffed, then said, "What?"

"First you should tell Emily that the date's off and maybe you could chat sometime later on..."

"IT'S NOT A DATE ANYWAY!" Ulrich said, suddenly screaming.

"Okay, okay, okay. Calm down. Then you should call Yumi and apologize. Then ask _her_ out on a date."

"Have you lost it, huh?" Ulrich said fiercely. "Yumi doesn't like me. So then why would she want me to ask her on a date?"

"Didn't you see her crying? Huh? She didn't get punched and have pain tears. Those tears were because she likes you and you're gonna go out on a date - whether you think it's one or not - with Emily. That's gotta hurt."

"Oh..." he said softening. "I never thought of it like that. I'd never wanna hurt Yumi."

"So then, why don't you go apologize?" Odd said. "But first, you've gotta talk to Emily. Maybe even get her a date with someone else in this school..."

"Hmm, lemme see, and who is that, that you're thinking of?" Ulrich said, playfully.

Odd blushed slightly and said, "Well, if she has time...she's a nice girl..."

"I got the hint. You like Emily. I'll ask her for you," Ulrich said, feeling like his old self.

"Wouldya really?" Odd asked.

"Of course!" Ulrich replied. "After all, what are friends for?"

"Gee, thanks Ulrich. Thanks a lot!" Odd said smiling.

"No problem, good buddy," Ulrich replied. "And speaking of problems, I've got to solve my own problem before it's too late."

"Good luck!" Odd said as he walked out of the room.

"I'll need all the good luck I can get to get through to Yumi," Ulrich mumbled to himself.


	2. Ch 2 Yumi's Anger

You guys are lucky that I already have a couple more chapters typed. Thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate them. And yah, making Odd the voice of reason, that is funny - I didn't even notice that if you can believe it! Lol...here's the next chappie..enjoy!

Chapter 2: Yumi's Anger

Yumi got home and ran up to her room, finally letting all her tears out, not wanting her mother to see her crying and ask what's going on. She slammed her door shut, and flung down onto her bed, sobbing madly. "Why am I crying over him? He's the one that betrayed me! To think I ever thought he actually liked me! Hmmph! What a joke!" she yelled to no one at all, punching her pillow angrily.

Her mother began to walk up the steps, and - surprisingly - Yumi heard her quiet steps up the stairs. She quickly grabbed a bunch of tissues and wiped away her tears. She also hid her pillow under her bed because of how much she'd torn it up.

"Hello, dear!" her mother said cheerfully as she walked into Yumi's room. Then she looked at her daughter's face, and her smile turned into a look of concern. "Are you feeling all right, dear? I heard you screaming, and I just wondered what was going on."

"It's nothing," Yumi replied, sniffling slightly, "Really, I'll be fine, don't worry."

"Oh, all right. But if you ever need me, you'll know where to find me."

"All right, Mom. Thanks," Yumi said, trying to smile. Mrs. Ishiyama was still a bit concerned, but she walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. Once she was gone, Yumi laid her head gently on her pillow, tears slipping down her cheeks as she thought of all the good times she'd had with Ulrich.

Suddenly she heard footsteps on the stairs again. 'Please don't let it be Mom again. Or Dad. Heck, I don't want anyone to come in. But I guess I don't have any choice.' She sat up slightly, wiping most of the tears from her cheeks, as the door opened and Ulrich walked in.


	3. Ch 3 Ulrich's Apology

HAHAHAHA I didnt notice the things that you pointed out before, YumiandUlrich4Ever! Hehehe, that just proves that no one's perfect. And there is a dance coming up in this chappie, so read on...

Chapter 3: Ulrich's Apology

"What do _you_ want?" was Yumi's defiant reply. Ulrich looked at her, and realized she'd been crying for a while. Her eyes were red and a tear was still on her cheek. He felt the impulse to wipe it away, but he decided not to, not knowing how she'd react.

"Yumi, I..." Ulrich started to say, then Yumi cut him off.

"I know what you're here to do. You're here to say, 'Gosh Yumi, I'm so sorry. But I like Emily. Better luck next time' " Anger tears stung her eyes. She wanted to continue, but Ulrich's face had taken on a some-what hurt look, and she didn't know why.

"Yumi, I don't like Emily," Ulrich started.

"Then why'd you agree to go out on a date with her?" Yumi retorted fiercely.

"IT'S NOT A DATE!" Ulrich replied harshly. Yumi was shocked, she'd never seen Ulrich like this before. "Sorry, but everyone keeps saying it's a date, and it wasn't supposed to be. At least..." he added, "...not to me. It was just supposed to be an outting between friends, but I see now you took it as more than that."

Yumi listened silently. "So then...what are you here for?"

Ulrich sighed, then realized he hadn't broken off the "date" with Emily yet. "Hold on just a sec," he said, getting his cell out of his pocket. "I'll be right back." He walked into the hallway and dialed Emily's cell number. She picked it up after two rings.

"Hello?" Emily said.

"Hi, it's Ulrich"

"Oh, hey, Ulrich. Are you getting ready for our date?"

"Emily, listen..."

"Yes?"

"I...it...how can I put this nicely?"

"Huh...?"

"I guess, what I'm trying to say is, I never considered it to be a date, and you shouldn't have either. But since most people considered it to be a date, Yumi's upset..."

She sighed. "Precious Yumi, pfft..."

"Shut up, Emily. I'm not in the mood."

There was silence for a moment, as Emily thought this through. "All right," she said finally. "Continue."

"...and so, what I'm trying to do is..." He hesitated for a moment, then said, "I can't go out with you tonight or ever. I'm sorry. Good-bye now." Ulrich pushed the red button on his cell, ending the call.

Yumi sat in her room, dazed. Ulrich...what had he just done? She was still trying to think over the half of the conversation she'd heard, when Ulrich walked back in. "Oh, hey," Yumi said, blushing slightly.

"Hey," Ulrich replied. Just seeing her blushing confused him, yet made his face redden as well.

"So...what happened?"

"I'm not going anywhere with Emily after all."

Yumi smiled slightly. There was an uncomfortable silence between them, then Ulrich said, "Well, I'd better get going-"

"Wait," Yumi started.

"Yes?" Ulrich replied, turning from the door.

"Uh, I...well, I.." Yumi stammered. "Would you like to go to the dance with me on Friday?" she finally blurted out, her face turning red again. Ulrich blushed as well, not knowing how to react.

Then he said, smiling, "Yes." That's how he left it, smiles on both of their faces, and anticipation in both of their hearts, because today was Wednesday.


	4. Ch 4 The Next Morning

To answer your question, animesk8ergirl, I said that the dance is on Friday, and I pointed out that this all happened on Wednesday, two days before the dance. Sorry if I confused you...Here's the next chapter, enjoy! ;)

Chapter 4: The Next Morning

The next day, Ulrich awoke with an odd sensation up his back. "Kiwi!" he exclaimed, jumping out of bed. Kiwi had been licking him up the back, and he realized that he had been so tired the night before that all he'd done is throw off his shirt and jump into bed.

His exclamation, however, awoke Odd, and with a jerk of his head, he said drowsily, "Where's the fire, Sheriff?"

Ulrich chuckled to himself. 'Silly Odd,' he thought to himself. "G'morning, sleepyhead."

"Hey," Odd replied slowly - as if he was in a daze - and waved to Ulrich with 3 fingers. "How'd last night go?"

Ulrich smiled and replied, "I'm going to the dance with Yumi." Odd cheered, causing Ulrich to turn a deep shade of red. Odd just laughed at this, and, getting out of bed, picked up Kiwi. "Oh, and your dog is what woke me up-"

"-and you woke me up...so it's all Kiwi's fault," Odd finished. "Bad Kiwi!" he scolded, getting out his dog food bowl and pouring his dog food, almost to the point of overflowing.

"Hey, what did you do that for?" Ulrich questioned. "No reason to reward him for bad behavior."

"Yeah, but no one should be deprived of breakfast, or any other meal for that matter!" Odd said, making Ulrich chuckle.

"I didn't even know you knew what the word 'deprived' meant!" Ulrich laughed, and Odd elbowed him. "Hey, hey! Besides, it concerned food, so of course you'd know it!" Odd just grinned at that one.

"Food! Oh my gosh, it's breakfast time!" Odd realized, jumping up from kneeling on the floor by Kiwi.

"Really now?" was Ulrich's sarcastic remark.

Odd, ignoring his sarcasm, said, "We've gotta get down there before the line is too long and all of the good seats are taken!"

"Yeah, the good seats are the ones nearest the food, right?" Ulrich sarcastically replied again, but no one was there to here but Kiwi. Odd had ran out the door, anxious to get to breakfast, and Ulrich, sighing, followed closing the door behind him and leaving Kiwi munching on his food. A satisfied bark was all he heard exiting the room as he headed down to the cafeteria to begin another long day of school, and, the day before the dance as well.


	5. Ch 5 Feeling

I know, it's a stupid chapter name, but I had to think of something! (sometimes ya win, and sometimes ya dont) Sorry if the last chapter was so short...well, here's the next one!

Chapter 5: Feeling

The day blurred by, in Ulrich's eyes. In Yumi's eyes, the day went by far too slowly. The part that was the slowest to her was lunch. She walked into the cafeteria with a confident stride, then she stopped Ulrich. Her heart seemed to stop right then and there. 'Don't look nervous, don't look nervous,' she kept telling herself, but she feared that herself wasn't listening.

"Hey Yumi!" Ulrich greeted her with a broad grin from the lunch table. She gave a little wave back and started towards the lunch line. He and Odd had already gotten their food, and Jeremie hadn't arrived yet. 'Must still be working on that materialization stuff,' Yumi reassured herself. She sped through the lunch line, it seemed, then walked over to the table again. She started to sit down across from Ulrich like she always had, but today Ulrich patted the seat beside him in a gesture that said, "Sit by me."

She went around the table and sat next to Ulrich instead. Odd eyed them suspiciously, then went back to eating his food and rambling on like usual. "So, did you know that I'm helping Sam out at the dance with the music?" Odd stated, shoveling food into his mouth. "I'm going to be the DJ and she's going to give me the music to play. Any requests out there!" Odd yelled to his imaginary audience. Ulrich chuckled, and Yumi smiled, nibbling away at her sandwich.

"Hey, I've got a request," Yumi spoke up, suddenly, surprising herself and Ulrich as well.

"Really?" Odd and Ulrich said at the same time. Odd continued, "What is it?"

"Uhh...I don't...I mean.." Yumi stuttered. 'Why am I so nervous around Ulrich all of a sudden? Just say whatever you thought you were gonna say!' "What I was gonna say is...the song 'Bring Me To Life' " Yumi finally said, almost spat.

Odd took out his pen and wrote 'Bring Me To Life - need Evanescence CD' on his napkin. "Cool! I'll be sure and play it for you!" He then grinned and went to the line to get seconds.

There was an uncomfortable silence between them for what seemed like forever. Then Ulrich said, "So, you like Evanescence?"

"Yeah, they're one of my favorite bands," Yumi said. Even though they were in France, she didn't really know French, and besides she preferred the American style of music, like punk and rock. (A/N:I needed to think of something! hehe)

"Cool! They're a great band. What's your favorite song? Is it 'Bring Me To Life' or something else?"

"I don't really have a favorite song...rather a group of songs I like."

"Which are..."

" 'Bring Me To Life', 'Going Under', and 'My Immortal'. The others are cool, but I like those 3 the best."

"Yeah, those are good songs," Ulrich agreed. There was silence again before Odd came back with his tray overflowing with food and Jeremie ran in the cafeteria.

"Guys!" Odd and Jeremie exclaimed at the same time.

"They let me have three puddings!" Odd said, spooning the pudding into his mouth.

"I don't know where Aelita is!" was Jeremie's news.

"How can you not know where she is!" Ulrich replied.

"I don't know..I just...I was trying a new materialization program and I was online, and then..." He looked like he was going to burst into tears. "My computer somehow got a virus off of the internet and I was in the middle of testing the program when it happened and she just...disappeared!" He finally just broke down in tears. Yumi gasped, Odd stopped consuming the pudding, and the group of friends was silent in reverence, then questions emerged.

"Did you check the scanners?" "Did you look _all_ over Lyoko?" "She must be here somewhere." "Remember when you got stuck between Earth and Lyoko?" "Do you think she's in that place between Earth and Lyoko?"

"There's only one way to find out," Jeremie said, determinedly. "I'm going. But we'll have to come up with the same glitch as last time, only not the 'almost deletion' glitch, but slightly different. I'd like to get stuck there, but not almost get deleted, like last time. We might have to rewire the programming to the CPU and possibly hook-up this program from my laptop via a local network connection - not to mention we _will _have to be online, though it could be risky..." All of the gangs' mouths gaped as he tried to explain what he wanted them to do.

"Hey, hey, hey! Einstein!" Odd said. "Back-up! You hook up the wires and stuff, and we'll send you to that place so we can work all of this out! And maybe," he said, a grin coming to his face, nudging Jeremie, "we could get her materialized for the dance tomorrow, if we're successful." Jeremie blushed, and Yumi stifled a giggle. Ulrich had a thoughtful look on his face, and didn't respond to this.

"All right, all right," Jeremie agreed. "Let's go." They exited the cafeteria. Unfortunately, they hadn't heard Sissi's satisfied cackle as she strutted down the hall to tell Jim all that she'd heard with Herb and Nicholas not far behind.


	6. Ch 6 Meeting Halfway

Chapter 6: Meeting Halfway

The group rushed over to the factory. Jeremie was running faster than usual from his anxiousness to find Aelita. In fact, he was so filled with anxiety that he fumbled on the rope on the way down to the elevator and slipped the rest of the way down, landing on his arm. Yumi, Ulrich, and Odd quickly swung down to see if he was all right. Lucky for him, he'd suffered minor injuries and nothing was broken, so he stood up, his will proving to be enough to keep him pressing onward. When they got down to the super-computer, all at once Jeremie began to hook his laptop up to it (A/N: Luckily he'd had his laptop with him when he discovered that Aelita wasn't anywhere to be found) and had spare wires that he hooked-up to a little box-like thingy that none of the others could identify exactly. "It's a proto-type," Jeremie explained. "to created new characters for Lyoko. You guys were lucky that somehow 3 character cards - though not specifying specific traits or weapons - were already on Lyoko's server, and they were fairly easy to modify. But to create a new card is a whole different story..." He trailed off. Odd had fallen asleep in the corner. "Wake him up, please," Jeremie said, starting to sound agitated. "We might need his help later-on."

"ODD WAKE UP!" they both yelled at the same time. Odd jerked awake and bumped his head on the regions of Lyoko projection.

"Why'd you have to yell that loud!" Odd protested. "Besides, I was just taking a little nap.."

"Listen, Odd," Ulrich fiercely replied, "remember when Yumi got trapped in the digital void on the same day that Jeremie finished the code for materialization?"

"Yeah," Odd said, listening intently.

"Well, instead of materializing Aelita, he saved Yumi for me. Now's our chance to pay him back and save Aelita. It's the right thing to do, and besides, Aelita's our friend!" This little speech called Yumi to blush a bright shade of red, but it was too dark in the room for the boys to see.

"Yeah, okay," Odd replied. "If you need me Jeremie, I'm here!" he saluted Jeremie confidently. Jeremie grinned and started up the program to create his own Lyoko character.

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Sorry you guys, I've kinda been pre-occupied with a big research paper for school and talent show practices. I promise I'll work harder on updating once my school lets out June 8th, k? Thanks, oh, and please review!


	7. Ch 7 The Test

Chapter 7: The Test

Jeremie began work on creating his Lyoko character. Meanwhile, Odd was dancing around and humming the words to "Big Big Big Dance" to himself as to keep himself awake, and Yumi and Ulrich were sitting in the corner talking.

"So, have you picked out an outfit for the dance yet?" Yumi asked Ulrich.

"No..." he replied

"Well, the dance is tomorrow, so I'd advise picking one out this evening or tomorrow afternoon, depending on how long this takes." She glanced at Jeremie typing quickly at the super-computer. "He loves her so much..." Yumi said to herself.

"Yeah.." Ulrich agreed. _And I love you so much, _Ulrich thought to himself, though he didn't dare voice his thoughts, at least not right now.

"BIG BIG BIG DANCE!" Odd's humming had gradually gotten louder until he'd been singing, then practically screaming the lyrics to his song from a recent music video he'd made.

"ODD WOULD YOU SHUT UP!" Jeremie growled. Odd stopped immediately, and there was eerie silence. Then Jeremie returned to his seemingly endless list of things to do to prepare himself for going in halfway.

Odd tiptoed over to the corner where Ulrich and Yumi were sitting. "Gosh, I didn't know Jeremie could get **that **angry!"

"Well, for one thing," Ulrich started, "that song isn't exactly his favorite," and he muttered to himself, "or anyone's for that matter.."

"Hey I heard that!" Odd started to protest, but he simply got a "shush" from Yumi.

"...and also Jeremie needs to concentrate. That song isn't the best song to listen to when you're trying to concentrate..." Ulrich continued.

"Ok then!" Odd smirked. "I'll just sing another song!"

"Oh boy," Yumi mouthed to Ulrich. "Look what you've done."

"Me?" Ulrich mouthed back.

Then they heard the most beautiful thing they'd ever heard. Odd was singing a different song by Simple Plan. He, like Ulrich and Yumi, didn't quiet understand French music, and his style leaned towards American music, especially that of Simple Plan and Evanescence. "Do you ever feel like breaking down? Do you ever feel out of place, like somehow you just don't belong and no one understands you?" He continued on until the end of the verse in his stunning tenor voice. Yumi and Ulrich were in shock.

"Wow," Yumi was able to utter. "That was amazing..."

"Yeah..I never knew he could sing like that," Ulrich added.

"Yes!" Jeremie cried happily. "It's ready!" The three ran over to the super-computer and looked over Jeremie's shoulder. His character was wearing a sky blue long-sleeved shirt, khaki pants, brown sandals, and a sky blue headband. "My character is very similar to Aelita's. We both can control the zones by building up rocks with a simple touch, etc., etc."

"Cool!" Odd replied. "So, you gonna go or not?"

"But of course!" Jeremie said. "Yumi, could you transfer me?"

"Sure," she replied, getting out the manual. "Go on down to the scanners and tell me when you're ready." She put the microphone headset on and began typing in some codes to prepare the scanners for the virtualization process. The elevator doors opened and Jeremie stepped inside. Slowly they lowered him down to the scanner room's level. They opened once again, and Jeremie stepped out.

"Ok," he breathed. "I'm ready." He stepped into the nearest scanner. Yumi typed in another code, and the doors closed. Jeremie's breath came in small puffs. "I'm not nervous, it'll all be fine, nothing will go wrong," he tried to reassure himself. A strong gust of wind engulfed him. He closed his eyes and prepared for the worst.

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Evil cliff-hanger, mwahahahaha! I mean shifty eyes yeah...I like to keep people in suspense though. Don't worry, I'll be continuing sooner than you'd think. Please review, everyone!


	8. Ch 8 Yumi and Odd?

Chapter 8: Yumi and Odd?

Jeremie appeared in the indescribable void between Earth and Lyoko. "Aelita?" He called out into the nothingness surrounding him. A flash of bright light, and he turned around. There she was...but wait..."Aelita!" he yelled again, trying to float towards her through the seemingly endless channels of blindingly bright light. He floated on and on and on, but never got closer to Aelita than he had been a moment before. What could be going wrong?

"Jeremie?" A voice echoed through the void. It was Yumi. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah..." he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"We just can't see you on the screen, that's all," Yumi said apologetically. "The Lyoko screen, I mean. Since you're in the middle, we can't exactly tell where you are...I mean...oh, never mind.." Yumi looked over the screen, then suddenly did a double take. "Jeremie!"

"What?" he replied.

"Your character doesn't have glasses!" Yumi exclaimed. Ulrich and Odd had been talking, but now they were looking over her shoulder at the large screen once again. She was right - his Lyoko character indeed had no glasses. "Why didn't we notice this before?"

"I have no idea," Jeremie said, sounding somewhat irritated. "I thought you were going to alert me about trouble or something.. getting me all worried for nothing..." he muttered to himself. "The only problem now is that no matter how hard I try to get closer to her, I can never reach Aelita..it's very odd..."

"Wait, you see Aelita?" Ulrich asked. "You never told us that!"

"Yeah because you've been so fascinated by the fact that my Lyoko character has no glasses, I never had a chance to get a word in!" he spat, still desperately trying to reach Aelita, shielding his face from the beams of light coming at him from every direction. "Gosh, it's too bright..." he muttered.

A window appeared on the computer screen that hadn't been there before. Yumi clicked on it, and it popped open, revealing the void where Jeremie was struggling to fight the light and reach Aelita. "Jeremie! I can see you now. Aelita's flashing...is that a good or bad thing?" She flipped through the thick manual about Lyoko and all of its regions, yet nothing about the void in between them and Earth ever appeared within its pages. Finally, after a thorough investigation, Odd stumbled upon a book entitled "Recent Discoveries". The print was in Jeremie's handwriting. "Thanks, Odd!" Yumi exclaimed. "You're the best!"

"Aww, shucks, it was nothing!" Odd said, somewhat of a blush coming to his cheeks.

_Hey, back off! _Ulrich thought to himself. Then the unimaginable happened - Yumi gave Odd a quick peck on his cheek, supposedly for a job well done. _What! _Ulrich wanted to scream. _Sure, sure, congratulate him, but with a kiss! _His inner fury was showing on the outside as well. Odd quickly proceeded to "wipe away" the kiss from his cheek and mutter a hasty apology. Ulrich doubted the sincerity, and simply replied, "Whatever." He retreated to the back corner of the super-computer room where he slid down to sit against the cold, metal walls.

From the corner, Ulrich heard Odd ask Yumi to the dance the next day. And to his dismay, Yumi whole-heartedly agreed, giving him another quick peck on his cheek. It felt as though his heart had just been broken in two. Had she forgotten about asking him to the dance only the day before? Ulrich could not take this any longer. He stormed out of the room, bitter tears filling his eyes. Slowly they slid down his cheeks, burning them like acid. He quickly pushed the button to the elevator and stepped inside before either of them could stop him. The doors closed, and Yumi yelled after him. He ignored whatever excuses she could propose and waited for the elevator ride to be other with so he could go back to his dorm room and be alone.

"Yumi!" Jeremie yelled excitedly. "I've finally reached Aelita!" He held the pink-haired girl in his arms. Her were eyes were closed, however, and she didn't respond to his yelling. _I've got to get her to a tower _was his logical thought. Then he saw Yumi's face turn towards the virtual screen. A tear was held suspended on her cheek. "Yumi? What's wrong?"

"Odd...and then Ulrich...and then he left...and now..." she mumbled, unable to form sentences because of the tears now welling up and spilling over. "What have I done!" she wailed. Odd's face showed a very pained and regretful look, while Yumi's was stained with tears and her eyes were extremely bloodshot.

"I can't believe you, Yumi!" Jeremie criticized. "You too, Odd! First Emily asks Ulrich to a movie, and Yumi runs home in tears. (A/N: Odd has explained the whole story to Jeremie that day before lunch) Odd convinces him to break off the supposed date with Emily for your sake, Yumi. He did do so because you mean so much to him. You even asked him to the dance tomorrow, and he agreed! Now, here you are, kissing his best friend, and agreeing to go to the dance with him instead without even giving Ulrich a second thought!" Jeremie got so worked up that he didn't notice that Aelita was gazing intently at his face as he told the whole story once more.

"Wow, Yumi..." Aelita sighed, and Jeremie turned. "I always thought that you loved Ulrich.."

"I do..I mean...I did...I mean..." Yumi cried, still not able to form a single sentence through her tears.

"I'm going to go see Ulrich," Odd spoke up. He went over to the elevator to leave. He pushed the button, but nothing happened. "What the -?"

"What's wrong, Odd?" Yumi's tears had ceased for the moment being.

"The elevator, it's jammed...oh gosh, what if Ulrich-" Odd started.

"Ulrich could be stuck!" Yumi exclaimed, finishing Odd's statement.

"What!" Jeremie and Aelita said at the same time. Aelita stifled a giggle because of this, but Jeremie's tone remained serious.

"I'm going to get him,"

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Hahahaha, another cliffie! I am so bad, mwhahahahaha! Try and guess who said they would get Ulrich. Is it:

Odd - his best friend trying to make up for the fact that he asked his love to the dance

Yumi - showing Ulrich that she really does love him and possibly go with him to the dance instead

Jeremie - seeing as Aelita has not disappeared after all, he could come back and fix the elevator

or

Aelita - risking her life to come to Earth and, possibly, voice hidden affections for him she's had all along?

You'll just have to see! Please review, everyone!

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	9. Ch 9 The Rescue

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews all. Thought I'd comment on some this time...

**Luna: Here's the chappie, hope you'll like it, but yeah I'm totally for the original couples they planned on the show, in fact I'm writing a SxO chappie on another one of my fics. It's a collection of CL song-fics. Check it out sometime!**

**Lucy McGonagle: LOL!**

**Vic92091: I hate cliffies too...when it's other people's stories, at least sometimes. Sometimes cliffies are fun though. They build up suspense. As long as the author updates the story often enough, the cliffies aren't really so bad.**

**Simoo: Thank you so much! I will continue indeed.**

**rainingducks: LOL I know. But you don't have to wait any longer. Here's the next chappie!**

Chapter 9: The Rescue

"But Yumi, you can't!" Odd protested. "I have no clue how to work this thing!" It was hard for him as it was to keep his jaw in place staring at all of those keys and buttons, but the thought of actually having to work them! It was overwhelming!

"I have to. I have to make things right again. Go to the dance with Sam or something," Yumi spat, getting up from the super-computer chair.

"But...I wanted to go with you..."

"I don't care. I should have never kissed you in the first place! It caused more trouble then I'd imagined. Now Ulrich's stuck, and I should be the one to get him, because I lov- ...I lo- ..I care about him very much." Yumi stuttered at the word "love". Now she rethought everything she'd ever thought. Did she really just like him, like a schoolgirl crush, or was it more than that? Could it be love? She shuddered at the thought of a word so powerful as love towards Ulrich. She would have to think this over more thoroughly when she was alone at home again.

"Aelita, wait, what are you doing!" Jeremie suddenly exclaimed. Yumi and Odd turned to look at the screen. Aelita jumped through Lyoko into a void. "What did she just do!"

"Is she suicidal or something!" Odd cried. Suddenly they heard a banging noise. Then the sound of footsteps. They looked over to where the sound had come from. Could it be...it was...Aelita! "AELITA!" Odd cried, running over to her and embracing her. Aelita let him hug her, then slowly eased away from his grasp.

"Yes, it's me. In the flesh. I'm going to..."

"You had best not think about getting Ulrich, because I have to do it! I have to fix what I did!" Yumi cried out before Aelita could finish. Yet another tear slipped down her cheek. Aelita ran over to her and took her in her arms.

"Shh, Yumi, I thought about going, but after that, I suppose that I should just stay here and work the super-computer..."

"Wait, you thought about going! I thought you liked Jeremie! I thought you loved Jeremie!" Yumi blurted out, then quickly covered her mouth. Aelita's face turned as pink as her pixy-like hair. Jeremie heard this and his face reddened as well.

"I do love Jeremie," Aelita finally spoke softly. "But I love Ulrich too. Like a brother, that is. Odd too. And I love you like a sister, Yumi. You've all been so good to me. I just wanted to help out."

"I understand, Aelita," Yumi agreed. "But I have to fix this on my own."

"All right. I'll work the super-computer so that Jeremie can come back to Earth."

"Wait, Aelita, I have a question," Jeremie spoke up. "How exactly did you..how were you able to.."

"Come to Earth? Simple. I've been working on the solution for years now, but now that I know it, it's so incredibly simple. Well, at least for a smart person like you, Jeremie." Aelita smiled and Jeremie's face reddened even more so. "Now I can stay here forever. You can shut down XANA once and for all."

"What..." Odd was extremely confused.

"He had no idea that I too was working on a solution for the materialization process. That meant that he couldn't affect my materialization at all. I'm home free!" Aelita exclaimed one of the new phrases from Earth she'd learned from Jeremie.

"That's wonderful Aelita! All we have to do now is de-virtualize me now, then we can shut down XANA for good!" Jeremie cried out happily. "Wait, if we have to return to the past..."

"No we don't," Aelita's grin broadened. "I tricked him into shutting down his own return to the past formula. Just jump through that void up ahead, Jeremie, and you'll be back in one of the scanners on Earth again. Then we can shut down XANA and I'll be able to live with you- all- forever!" Aelita added the word "all" at the last minute, not wanting to make him blush even redder than he already was. Jeremie nodded at this, jumping through the digital void. Then they heard the sound of the scanner whirring at the arrival to Earth..for the last time.

Jeremie hurried to climb up the ladder to the super-computer room. Finally he reached them. He stopped to catch his breath, then said rather hoarsely, "Let's go shut XANA down."

Odd and Aelita nodded. Yumi said, "I'm going to go get Ulrich first."

"Don't you want to be with us when we shut down XANA once and for all?"

"Yes, and I'm sure Ulrich would too, but I'd rather save him, and you shouldn't put it off for fear that XANA might attack at the last minute. Just cheer louder for me when he's finally off, 'kay?"

"All right, Yumi," Aelita agreed, nudging Jeremie. At this he nodded. Odd didn't need prompting to nod as well. It was he that had asked her to the dance after she'd kissed him, messing things up even further, so he wanted her to go off and somehow make things right again. They all headed down the ladder to the main Lyoko harddrive. Aelita waved to Yumi, and she grinned. Then she opened the door to the elevator and began to climb down to wherever it was.

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Meanwhile Ulrich sat inside the elevator, his heart on fire. He was still trying to piece everything together that happened. What had happened? Did it really happen? He didn't believe it. He didn't believe anything had happened. He couldn't believe what he was thinking. "Ugh!" He banged his head against one of the elevator walls in frustration. What was happening to him? Did he really care that much about Yumi? Of course he did! He'd loved her for so long now, he just couldn't shake that feeling for sure. Just then he realized that the elevator wasn't moving. Had he come to the ground floor? He pushed the button to open the doors, but they wouldn't open, saying they weren't at a floor yet. What? "I'm stuck! Oh great." Suddenly he heard a banging noise. He looked up. The top hatch to the elevator swung open. "Who is it?" Ulrich yelled, still greatly confused. The person jumped down into the elevator. It was none other than Yumi.

"Ulrich, I.." Yumi started as soon as she had regained balance again.

"You what?" Ulrich spat at her, cutting her off. "'Oh Ulrich I'm so sorry but I must break your heart and confess that I am really deeply in love with Odd and not you so just take a hike and get your own life!' Is that what you were going to say!"

"No," Yumi started in calmly. Ulrich noticed that she wasn't about to yell at him, so he calmed down slightly. "I was going to say that I'm sorry for ever kissing Odd," at that she added in her mind, 'and that my first kiss wasn't with you. oh but don't worry. I'll make the night of the dance a night he'll never forget. If he forgives me, that is.' "And for agreeing to go to the dance with him even though I'd already asked you. I don't know what my problem was, or why Odd went along with it. So ... are we still friends?"

"Friends? Do you see us as just friends?" Ulrich asked her, trying not to raise his voice.

"Well...not exactly..I just meant...are we, you know, cool again?"

"Oh yes, of course."

"And...will you still, you know, go to the dance with me?"

Ulrich grinned. "Your wish is my command."

"Thanks. Hey c'mon, I wanna show you something!" Yumi suddenly remembered that she hadn't told him about Aelita's materialization yet, so she had decided to show him instead. She grabbed his hand with even thinking about it and helped him through the hatch of the elevator. Ulrich grinned. Same ol' Yumi was back. Now, what was this that she wanted to show him?

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WriterOfOddFics: Slight cliffie here.

Odd: What are you talking about!

WriterOfOddFics: Well, when Ulrich sees Aelita, what shall happen?

Odd: Ah, I get it. More of that fake "hidden feelings" junk again. But if anything happens, it'll be Aelita. I'm sure that Ulrich's made up his mind. He loves Yumi. But I'm not so sure about Aelita. She seemed awfully disappointed that it wasn't her that would get to save Ulrich. But then again, she said she loved Ulrich like a brother. Ok, I am now very confused!

WriterOfOddFics: You're always confused, Odd. Anyway, y'all will have to just wait and see. Oh, and review, so that you may see what happens!

Odd: Hey! Leave me alone. sniff sniff


	10. Ch 10 Seeing Is Believing

Chapter 10 - Seeing is Believing

(a/n: remember in chapter...4 or 5, i believe, where i mentioned that sissi was gunna tell jim where the gang was headed? well, she still told him. let's see what happens in the next chappie, yay!)

Sissi led the way for Jim, Nicholas, and Herb. "I've seen them disappear in the middle of the field numerous times. There's got to be something around here! A trap door, a hidden entrance, a secret passageway, a cave, anything!" Sissi squealed, stomping through the grass and dirt in her 3 inch shoes. Every now and then she would hit a small hole in the ground and almost fell. Herb would always reach out and try and catch her, but she'd always catch herself and walk ahead of him again. He sighed to himself. 'Man, why did Ulrich have to go to this school! Without him around, I might've had a chance...ugh...' Herb thought as they searched the field.

"Aha!" Sissi shrieked, pointing at the sewer lid that hadn't been put back over the opening in the ground in haste to get to Aelita. "Let's go," she said as she carefully went down the ladder and into the sewer system. "Gross, and they do this all the time? I would get sick of it! What a smell, p-u!" she exclaimed, delicately holding her nose. They continued through the sewer system until they got to another ladder. 3 skateboards and a scooter had been left there. "Yes yes yes! 4 in all, those have got to be theres!"

"Hey, I saw Odd riding a skateboard just like that around school before," Jim stated.

"Jeremie must be the one with the scooter," Herb chuckled. "I can't see him as a skateboarder."

"Me either," Nicholas agreed. They all climbed up the ladder and through the other opening. They found themselves standing on a bridge.

"There," Sissi pointed to a door at the end. They walked over, but there was a harsh drop-off. No stairs or ladders in sight. Just a few ropes hung from the ceiling of the building in front of them. Sissi carefully grabbed onto one and slid down. Jim, Herb, and Nicholas followed suit. They came to what looked like an opening for an elevator. Sissi pressed a button that was supposed to open the door. Nothing happened. "What! What's wrong with this dumb thing?" She kicked it impatiently.

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Just then Yumi and Ulrich heard a loud banging sound from far below them. They were almost to the top of the elevator shaft. Yumi couldn't hide her curiousty and looked down. She immediately regretted it. "Uhh, Ulrich," she shuddered. "I just remembered that I'm kinda, sorta,..afraid of heights." She shivered.

"It'll be ok. I'm just concerned as to what that noise was," Ulrich replied. "Do you think it was the elevator starting up again?"

"If it was, then we had better get moving! We don't want to get hit."

"All right." They continued climbing until they reached the floor containing the super-computer. Yumi stepped hesitantly off of the ladder and around the edge. "It'll be ok, Yumi. I'm here. If anything should happen, I'll catch you. Don't worry." Ulrich tried to reassure her, giving her a smile.

She gave him a small smile in return. "All right," she said in uncertainty. Finally she was able to step onto the floor of the room again. Greatfully, she fell to the ground, trying to catch her breath. Ulrich quickly stepped around the edge until he was standing above Yumi.

"Are you ok, Yumi?" he asked her. At this, she stood up and brushed off her clothes.

"Yes, I'm all right. Just kinda worn out from all that climbing, you know? Now, I have to show you something!" She grabbed his hand once again and pulled him over to the ladder on the other side of the room. Just then, Jeremie, Odd, and Aelita came climbing back down.

"Aelita! But-but-but-" Ulrich stuttered. "What- how- I..."

"It's ok. We've shut down XANA for good. It's all over." She gave him a small smile, then walked up to him and gave him a friendly hug. When they pulled apart, they heard more banging noises. "What's going on?" Aelita asked, clinging onto Jeremie's arm. 'Obviously she'll have to get used to personal space,' Yumi thought to herself. 'But for now, it's so cute to see her clinging onto him afraid, and him blushing his head off!' She resisted the urge to laugh, as did Ulrich. Odd couldn't help but laugh out-loud.

"I have no idea, Aelita," Jeremie replied, his face returning to it's normal hue yet again. Suddenly they heard the sound of the elevator doors closing, then opening again. There stood Sissi, Jim, Nicholas, and Herb.

"You four are in serious...trouble?" Jim started out shouting, then realized that one more had joined them. "Who's she?"

"Oh her?" Odd started in. They'd prepared speeches to give Jim in case he ever saw Aelita before they'd "enrolled" her into their school, but none of the scenarios they'd proposed were in the factory. This would be tricky. "Well, you remember my cousin, Aelita, that I've always talked about? Well, they just arrived in town today, and they thought this factory ... was our school, so they dropped her off here. She's been wandering around scared in here. I don't think this place is safe, sir. It looks as if it could collapse at any second. Could you possibly get someone to tear it down?"

Jim stood staring at them all, his jaw slightly out of place. Then he nodded. "I'd be happy to, Odd. C'mon, let's get your..uhh, cousin was it? Let's get your cousin to school. Has she been properly enrolled yet?"

"No, but her parents sent the enrollment papers ahead of time, about a month ago," Odd continued, nodding at Jeremie. They'd made the enrollment papers one month before, so that part at least was true. "They're in my dorm room. I'll go get them so that the principal can sign them. Her parents have already signed. Will she be getting a dorm?"

"I think we've got enough left. She can have one near yours, just in case she gets lost, so she'll know where your room is if she needs help, ok?" Jim said, leading them into the elevator. Sissi, however, didn't want to let things be.

"How then did we find your skateboards - and stupid scooter - in the sewers, huh? Explain that!" she sneered.

"Well, Sissi," Yumi started in. "we can't skateboard at school. Your dad already caught Odd for skateboarding and told him to never do it again, right?"

"Yeah..." Sissi said.

"So we found this sewerway, and it seemed like a really cool place to skateboard. There are even built-in ramps and stuff that we can do tricks on," Ulrich continued.

"Though it may be cool, we don't want you to get hurt or possibly drown in sewage. And think of the smell," Jim spoke up as Jeremie pressed the buttons to go back up to the floor near the bridge.

"Then how did he know which buttons to press?" Herb spoke up, trying to help Sissi out.

"Any idiot can figure out an elevator," Odd said. Herb scowled at him. They left it at that.

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WriterOfOddFics: All turning out fine and dandy for the gang so far. Just wait and see what happens at the dance, and beforehand. Will the principal see through the fake enrollment papers? What will happen at the dance? What could happen? Please review all!


	11. Ch 11 The Night Before The Dance

Simoo- Thanks for reviewing!

LucyMcDonagle- LOL. Thanks for reviewing!

dragun- Here's the next chappie, so that's what's gonna happen next.

thesrazrbladekisses- Heh. Thanks for reviewing!

Fox- Thanks! Here's the next chappie.

babyfarie90- What do you mean 'do you even know anything about computers?'. Oh, nevermind. Saw the chapter the review is for. Just made some junk up, but yes I do know quite a bit about computers. Thanks for reviewing 3 times, and here's the next chappie.

Chapter 11 - The Night Before the Dance

In no time at all, Aelita was properly enrolled in Kadics school and became Aelita Lyoko. Jim got her a dorm room right across the hall from Ulrich and Odd's room, and just down the hall from Jeremie's room. Yumi's parents finally relented and let her stay in the Kadics dorms as well. That's when she began rooming with Aelita.

Soon the night before the dance was upon them, and Yumi and Aelita were up, testing different combinations of make-up and hairstyles. Aelita had become quite good at styling hair in no-time, so there Yumi sat on the floor cross-legged, and Aelita on her bed above her, brushing and tying up then taking down her hair again.

"You have such gorgeous hair, Yumi. I wish mine was like yours," Aelita sighed softly.

"Yeah, right! Everyone's been going crazy as to exactly how someone is born with bright pink hair. They love it!" Yumi gestured, looking up at her hair stylist briefly.

"I didn't mean the color, silly. I meant the hair itself. You're hair is so soft and smooth and lush and thick...Mine is all tangled up and kind of brittle," she pouted.

"I've got a solution for that, wash your hair with my shampoo and conditioner, then once it starts to dry, brush it out. I don't know what to tell you about the thickness. Some people are just born with naturally thick hair."

"Well, all right," she sighed, fussing with Yumi's hair. "Hey, I wonder what the boys are up to..." Aelita trailed off.

"Hey, let's play a little trick on them."

"What have you got in mind?" Aelita grinned mischievously.

"You'll see," Yumi said smirking. "Dump out all of our make-up. The guys are going to get a dance night preview," she chuckled, winking at Aelita, causing her to giggle.

"Oh, I gotcha. Then let's get to work!"

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Odd, Ulrich, and Jeremie all were gathered in Odd and Ulrich's room. They sat in a circle, playing cards and snacking on chips. "Odd, quit hogging them all!" Ulrich protested.

"Awww c'mon, you're not eating them anyway."

"Yeah, that's cuz you are, you pig!"

"You take that back!" Odd jumped up, grabbing the bag of chips. Ulrich lunged at him playfully and Odd dodged him, jumping up onto his bed. "Can't catch me, can't catch me!" Odd taunted, his shoe-less feet dancing around on top of his unmade bed.

"You wanna bet?" Ulrich said, jumping onto his bed as well. Odd hopped off and headed for Ulrich's bed. Ulrich ran around and cut him off, skidding slightly in only his socks. They both collapsed on top of Ulrich's bed, the bag of chips remaining remarkably intact.

"I'll take that," Jeremie stated, grabbing the chips from Odd's hands and sitting back down on the floor. "Now are we gonna continue our game or what?"

"Nah...that's starting to get boring," Odd yawned slightly.

"Maybe that's just cuz you've got short attention spans," Ulrich chuckled.

"Hey I do not..." Odd protested, yawning again.

"Well then, what do you suggest we do now, Odd? We don't have to go to bed for another hour or so."

"Dunno," Odd said, turning on his headphones and playing an air guitar totally off beat to the song.

"There really is nothing for me to do anymore, seeing as Aelita's here with us now. No more late-night conversations. No more going to Lyoko and trying to save the world..." Jeremie trailed off.

"Jeremie, you're acting as if Aelita's disappeared forever, when in reality she's right across the hall. Just go over there and talk to her in person!" Ulrich said.

"Oh, if only it was that easy. I just can't. I'm an extremely shy person, especially when it comes to girls. Talking to her on Lyoko was different, we weren't actually in person, face to face, where we could feel each other's presence. Of course, that had it's pros and cons. The bad part was that I couldn't actually touch her..."

"OOOOHH," Odd yelped at this remark. "Whoa there, Jeremie." Jeremie blushed a bright crimson.

"Shut it with your dirty thoughts, Odd, you know what he meant."

"Sorry, Einstein, thought it was funny at the time."

"It's quite all right," Jeremie replied thoughtfully. Suddenly there was a knock at their door. "Wonder who that could be.."

"I bet it's your darling Aelita.." Odd teased.

"Shh what if it is her?" Jeremie said accusingly.

"It's not like she doesn't know already, it's so obvious!" Odd stated.

Ulrich opened the door and immediately his jaw dropped. There stood Yumi and Aelita in the most outrageous outfits, make-up, and hair ever.

Yumi was dressed in an extremely short black mini skirt, black ultra-high heels, and a low-cut black shirt that showed off her midriff. She wore dark eyeliner, eye shadow, and mascara. Her lips were black and she wore no blush or concealer. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun, and she gave him a mischievous smile and wink.

Aelita was in an even shorter pink mini skirt, red pumps, and an extremely low-cut dark pink shirt that showed off her figure quite a bit. Her make-up was pink eyeshadow, pink blush, ruby red lipstick, and red eyeliner. She blew kisses to Jeremie, causing him to blush profusely, even more so than before when they'd first arrived.

Ulrich and Jeremie's faces were a dark red and Odd simply stared in wonder. "You two...you look like...like...like those one chicks that hang out at dance clubs and flirt with every guy that looks their way, or doesn't even look at them! You're like hooker twins!" he blurted out.

"I have to admit, both of your outfits are a tad bit...extreme," Jeremie said, still gaping at Aelita.

"Stop staring, Einstein, it gives the impression that you want her," Odd wiggled his eyebrows, causing Jeremie blush yet again.

Ulrich's face began to regain its normal hue yet again. "Why in the world.." he managed to stutter.

"Just wanted to give you a preview of what we were planning to wear to the dance tomorrow night," Yumi grinned.

"WHAT!" they all three exclaimed at once.

"Aelita, that'll give the wrong impression..." Jeremie started.

"But Yumi, what..." Ulrich tried to say.

"You'll be the hits of the party!" Odd yelled crazily.

"You were...joking, right?" Jeremie asked hopefully.

"Of course, silly," Aelita giggled. She sat on Odd's bed quickly. "So, could we hang out with you guys for a while?"

"Umm.." Jeremie started. "All right," Odd cut him off, giving him a glance that said "this-is-your-chance-to-actually-talk-to-Aelita-for-once-in-person-so-don't-get-all-shy-and-blow-it". Jeremie gave him a slight glare back and nodded to Aelita. "Sure, you two can stay a while."

"Great. So, what should we do?" Aelita asked, changing her position on Odd's bed.

"Ooh, I know!" Odd started. "Let's play Truth or Dare!"

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It seemed as though everyone but Odd's eyes widened at this suggestion. "C'mon, it'll be fun, and very...urm, helpful, in more ways than one." He winked at both Jeremie and Ulrich. Jeremie blushed slightly and Ulrich turned away, acting like he had no idea what Odd was talking about. And yet, at that moment, the only face that popped into his mind was Yumi's. What if some sort of question came up as to where his affections lie...what would he do...what if she didn't feel the same? 'Aww c'mon, you're getting yourself all worked up about nothing. It's just a stupid game, just play along and you'll be fine..' Ulrich reassured himself.

"How do you play Truth or Dare?" Aelita asked, intriqued by all of the new things she was learning on Earth at once.

"You'll soon find out. Now, everyone, get in a circle, or at least somewhat of a circle..."

"Are you still awake in there? Do I hear more than 2 voices, Ulrich and Odd?" Jim yelled accusingly from the other side of the closed door. "If there are more people in there than Ulrich and Odd, get on out right now and get to bed, and I mean right now!"

"Aww shoot, guess we kind of lost track of time," Odd sighed. "But we can pick up right where we left off tomorrow night, after the dance."

"No, I want to play right now!" Aelita protested.

"All right, then let's just act like it's only me and Ulrich, then when we know Jim's gone, we can play. But we'll have to be very quiet. So no more pulling any crazy stunts, all right ladies?" Odd asked. They both nodded. "Ok. Now, just in case Jim tries to get in, the girls can hide in the closet and Jeremie under the desk. Make sure and put the chair in front first so that they'll be less chance that he'd see you." Jeremie nodded in agreement. Ulrich and Odd climbed into their beds, Yumi and Aelita squeezed into the closet, and Jeremie turned off the light, then got under the desk and pulled the chair in front.

Light flooded in from the hallway. Jim looked from Ulrich's bed to Odd's. Odd let out a fake snore that actually sounded surprisingly realistic. Jim sighed to himself, then closed the door behind him. They heard his loud footsteps echoing all the way down the hall and out the door at the end. "Okay, coast is clear." Odd signaled. Everyone got back out from his or her hiding places. Jeremie turned the light back on, Ulrich fished the chips out from a dresser drawer, and Odd climbed onto the desk chair, ready to direct the game.

"All right now. Aelita, here's how the game goes. I will start. I can ask you, Yumi, Ulrich, or Jeremie 'truth or dare?'. If they say 'truth' then I get to ask them any kind of personal question I want and they have to answer. If they say 'dare' then I get to come up with a dare that can be anything I want it to be, and they have to do it. Got it? Once they've had their turn, then they get to ask someone else 'truth or dare?'. Ok?"

"I think I understand," Aelita nodded, ready to play.

"So, I think I'll have to go with..." Odd looked around the room. Yumi was biting her lip nervously. Ulrich was desperately trying not to make eye-contact with Odd. Jeremie began to blush. Aelita just sat there, slightly clueless but trying to understand how it worked. "...Ulrich first." Ulrich sighed at all the possible questions and dares Odd could possibly come up with. "So Ulrich, truth or dare?"

"Let's just get this over with..." Ulrich muttered.

"What was that?" Odd asked, a satisfied smirk on his face.

"Truth," Ulrich said.

"All right then," Odd said, a big smile on his face. "Who do you like? I mean, that's technically a multiple-part question. It's who are your affections for, and is it just a crush or more?" He wiggled his eyebrows, seemingly saying "c'mon-now-you-knew-this-would-happen-someday-so-might-as-well-be-sooner-than-later-right?"

Ulrich sighed, blowing a strand of hair from his face. "The truth is that..." He looked over at Yumi, and she was looking directly at him. Was that a spark of hope in her eyes? Did she want him to say her? Did she feel the same way about him as he did about her? Well, only one way to find out. "...I love Yumi." he forced himself to blurt out. Surprisingly, not one hint of red showed on his cheeks, but Yumi's cheeks reddened a bit. Also, she moved closer to Ulrich on his bed. She smiled at him and he grinned back. 'Maybe then she does feel the same...'

"Ooooh what a surprise! Not really," Odd, their self-proclaimed host commented. "Ok Ulrich. You choose who goes next."

"Jeremie," Ulrich said immediately.

"Oh no," Jeremie muttered to himself.

"Truth or dare?"

"Umm...oh gee...truth," he finally sighed in defeat, knowing that it would've come up sooner or later anyway.

"Same question that Odd asked me, then," Ulrich smirked, nodding at Jeremie.

"I love Aelita," Jeremie blurted out in one quick, embarrassed breath. Aelita gasped. 'As if she didn't know...' Odd thought, shaking his head. Then Aelita tackled Jeremie, hugging him. His face turned bright red. Odd was double-over with laughter. Ulrich chuckled and Yumi was silent, but a smile remained on her face.

"Wow another big surprise," Odd said, sarcasm oozing from his voice. "All right, Jeremie. Your turn."

"I'm giving my turn to you, because you're better at coming up with questions and dares than I am," Jeremie said to Odd.

"Okay then, this is new. Then I choose...Yumi," Odd wiggled his eyebrows yet again. Yumi rolled her eyes. "Truth or Dare?"

"Dare, I want to mix things up a bit," Yumi said fearlessly.

"OOOOH I have the PERFECT dare for you!" Odd exclaimed at once.

"Shh we don't want to get in trouble with Jim," Ulrich shushed him.

"Sorry. But still...Okay Yumi, I dare you to...make-out with Jeremie!" Odd finally said, trying not to burst out laughing at his brilliant plan. Jeremie gave him a confused glance, as did Aelita. Ulrich's was a look of pure terror. 'What does make-out mean?' Aelita thought to herself. 'Whatever it is, I don't think Ulrich wants her to do it...'

"What? That is the stupidest dare ever. Besides, if I did have to make-out with anyone I would want it to be Ul-" She cut her ranting short. Odd let out a girlish giggle. His plan was working. Finally Ulrich and Yumi would be together and Ulrich would quit bugging him with his lovesick "does she really love me the way that I love her?" ramblings that lasted forever.

"All right then, Yumi. If there's someone else you would rather perform that dare with, then do it now."

Yumi looked Ulrich's way, and he was already looking at her. 'Is that hope I see in his face? He did say that he loves me, and I know that I love him too. Well then, I don't see why not!' She nodded to him as if to say "is it ok?". He smiled slightly, a clear "yes". She looked at him, seeming to say "are you ready?". His smile grew. Another unmistakable sign. All right then. She sighed, overcome with anxiety and nervousness. Luckily, he leaned toward her first, and their lips met. They kissed passionately. She felt his tongue push into her mouth. It was the strangest, most wonderful sensation she'd ever felt before. She leaned in further, pressing her tongue into his mouth, willing the kiss never to end. Both of their eyes were closed as they got lost in the moment.

Jeremie gaped at them. Aelita stared at them, wondering if Jeremie might want to do the same with her? Odd's eyes widened considerably. His plan worked! Now who was the genius?

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WriterOfOddFics: Total YxU fluff chappie! You like? Review, and I'll do the same with Aelita and Jeremie the night of the dance. Please review then, everyone! I want at least...oh let's say, 10 reviews perhaps? Note: If you love this story that much, then review more than once if you want another chappie up!


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